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Japan intends to reduce approval times for wind projects, open up abandoned farmland, boost grid capacity and other measures.
- Currently, renewable energy accounts for about 18 per cent of Japan’s energy generation.
- Japan is also looking to increase its power grid capacity to increase its offshore wind power plants by 45 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2040.
In a bid to increase the spate of new renewable energy deployments, Japan intends to reduce approval times for wind projects, open up abandoned farmland, boost grid capacity and other measures. The country is looking to reduce bureaucratic red tape that has impeded clean energy for years. These developments come in the wake of the country’s announcement last week of almost doubling its 2030 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets at the climate summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
“The entire government will work together to make renewable energy a mainstream power source,” Japan’s Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said on Friday. Currently, renewable energy accounts for about 18 per cent of Japan’s energy generation.
The world’s fifth-largest carbon emitter intends to utilise rooftop solar power, faster development for geothermal energy and a quicker Environmental Impact Assessment process for wind developments. Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that “the entire government will work together to make renewable energy a mainstream power source. The minister also noted a lot of new opportunities for solar energy installation, including; rooftops, factories and commercial buildings, reservoirs/dams and abandoned farmlands.
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Japan is the world’s fifth-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. To meet its new target of cutting emissions by 46 per cent by 2030 on fiscal 2013 levels, against the previous goal of 26 per cent, the ministry will seek to expand the use of rooftop solar power, faster development of geothermal power in national parks and quicker environmental assessment for wind power projects, Koizumi said.
Japan is also looking to increase its power grid capacity to increase its offshore wind power plants by 45 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2040. Japan also aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Experts believe that the new targets can be quite achievable if the country can increase renewable energy’s contribution to the grid by about 45 per cent. According to experts, the government’s vital role is to promote investments in renewable energy and energy savings.